Lord Warner: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Ivan Lewis) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	We have today published the report of the Department of Health review of services for allergy, which the Government undertook to carry out in its response (Cm 6433, January 2005) to the Health Select Committee report on the provision of allergy services (November 2004). The report has been placed in the Library and is available on the Departmentof Health website at www.dh.gov.uk/Publications AndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAnd Guidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4137365&amp;chk=/Z3Wtj.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for work and Pensions (John Hutton) has made the following Statement.
	On 16 May I announced that my department and the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), and the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) had agreed to work together to identify urgently ways in which we can speed the settlement of claims for those suffering from mesothelioma. I said that I would report on progress before Parliament rises for the Summer Recess.
	More stakeholders have also been involved in this work, such as the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) and we have also kept other interested parties informed.
	Since then, the Government have introduced amendments to the Compensation Bill to reverse the effects of the Law Lords' ruling on Barker v Corus. This would have caused delays in resolving claims and made it more difficult for mesothelioma sufferers to recover full compensation. We are changing the law to make it easier for them to get full compensation as quickly as possible.
	These new provisions would also enable certain changes to be made to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, which should considerably speed up payment of claims to mesothelioma victims and produce a fair outcome for insurers.
	Today I announce interim measures to speed up current claims handling for mesothelioma sufferers. I am also confirming that we will put in place a long-term solution. This work will start now and I will provide a further update on progress in the autumn. We are committed to having a full dialogue and we will invite comments from all interested parties.
	Looking forward, we have identified a number of interim measures that can be implemented relatively quickly and will speed up the settlement of claims across the UK:
	our partners are developing a Standard Claim Letter that should be in place by October;we are drafting a leaflet for those diagnosed with mesothelioma to explain the help available to them and where to find it;in July, the DWP will clarify with claims handlers best practice for ensuring priority for industrial injuries disablement benefits for those with mesothelioma;also in July, the DWP will work with Revenue and Customs to address tracing employer records more quickly;to support the code of practice for tracing employers' liability compulsory insurance (ELCI) policies, the ABI will introduce a phone inquiries helpline in the autumn and will also issue guidance on how to get the best out of the code;we will review the code of practice for tracing ELCI policies to ensure that the code is comprehensive and has the confidence of users;the ABI will spread best practice within the wider insurance industry with a claims handling best practice guide; andpartners will consider further public awareness activity to encourage claimants to use qualified, experienced legal practitioners when making a claim.
	We will continue to work with our partners to ensure that these short-term outcomes are delivered quickly as we develop options for future change.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: My right honourable friend the Paymaster General (Dawn Primarolo) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	A new double taxation convention with Poland was signed on 20 July 2006. After signature, the text of the convention was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses and made available on HM Revenue and Customs' website. The text of the convention will be scheduled to a draft Order in Council and laid before the House of Commons in due course.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Gordon Brown) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	At its meeting on 11 July 2006, the Economic and Financial Affairs Council took note of a presentation from the Finnish presidency on its work programme for the Council during the second half of 2006. Priorities include addressing the challenges of globalisation, efficient functioning of the internal market and further economic and structural reforms.
	ECOFIN adopted a 104(12) Decision abrogating Cyprus's Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP) and Council Conclusions on Portugal's progress in addressing its EDP.
	Council adopted a Decision allowing Slovenia to adopt the euro as its currency from 1 January 2007.
	ECOFIN adopted a set of Conclusions regarding the first year of the revised Stability and Growth Pact.
	Council discussed the renewal of the EIB's external lending mandates, which will set the amounts and strategic priorities of the EIB's operations outside the EU. The Council requested the Economic and Financial Committee to oversee further work on the proposal and will discuss this again at its meeting on 10 October.
	ECOFIN was briefed by the Commission on economic dialogues with third countries and held an exchange of views. The UK welcomed the economic content of the EU-US Vienna Declaration as well as further ECOFIN discussion on the key issues for these dialogues.
	ECOFIN adopted Council Conclusions on a Commission proposal for the funding of the International Accounting Standards Board.
	The Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Mr John Healey MP, represented the UK.

Lord Triesman: My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary (Margaret Beckett) and Sir John Grant (UK Permanent Representative to the EU) represented the UK at the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) in Brussels on 17 July.
	The agenda items covered were as follows:
	General Affairs
	Presentation of Presidency Priorities: The Council took note of the presidency priorities which included the Middle East, enlargement, energy, Central Asia, human rights and relations with Russia.
	Migration: The Council adopted Conclusions: welcoming the outcome of the Euro-Africa Ministerial Conference on Migration and Development in Rabat on 10 to 11 July; expressing its concern about the increasing illegal migratory flows in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic; and underlining the need to address the situation, including further work on East African routes.
	External Relations
	World Trade Organisation/Doha Development Agenda (WTO/DDA): Commissioner Mandelson briefed the Council on developments in the current round of trade negotiations.
	Procedural Conclusions were adopted allowing the Council to meet in special session in July or August if a WTO Ministerial were called.
	Sudan/Darfur: High Representative Solana stressed the need for the international community to continue support for the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) until UN transition, as well as putting pressure on the Sudanese Government to accept the UN mission. The High Representative hoped that a high-level conference in Brussels on 18 July would make progress on both these issues.
	The Council adopted Conclusions: reiterating EU support for the Darfur Peace Agreement; emphasising the importance of an effective AMIS; and urging the Sudanese government to agree to UN transition.
	Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): The Council discussed the forthcoming elections in DRC on 30 July. External Relations Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner said that the EU's election observation mission in DRC, working with other international delegations and with MONUC (UN mission in DRC) and EUFOR (EU force in DRC) on security issues, should help ensure a smooth election process.
	The Council agreed Conclusions urging the Congolese to seize the opportunity offered by the elections and the authorities to fully comply with democratic principles and noting the ongoing deployment of the EUFOR and the EU election observation mission.
	Western Balkans: The Council was briefed by UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari on the state of play of the Kosovo status process. The EU would have a key role to play in Kosovo post-settlement.
	The Council adopted Conclusions on Kosovo reiterating its full support for Ahtisaari and his efforts in conducting the political process to determine Kosovo's future status and welcoming the joint report by High Representative Solana and the Commissioner for Enlargement Rehn on the future EU role and contribution in Kosovo.
	Conclusions on Macedonia welcomed the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's preliminary assessment that overall parliamentary elections on5 July met international standards, despite some isolated incidents.
	The Council also adopted Conclusions recognising Montenegro as a sovereign state and highlighting the importance of regional co-operation in the framework of the stabilisation and association process.
	An Extended Troika (the presidency, incoming presidency, Enlargement Commissioner Rehn and High Representative Solana) met Serbian Prime Minister Kostunica after the GAERC on 17 July to discuss Serbia's co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the action plan that Serbia had drawn up on how to deliver on its ICTY commitments.
	The presidency stressed that Serbia must begin to implement the action plan immediately with full co-operation with ICTY being a condition for restarting stabilisation and association agreement negotiations.
	Middle East Peace Process: High Representative Solana briefed the Council on his trip to Lebanon on 16 July.
	The Council adopted Conclusions: expressing concern at the situation in the Middle East, particularly the deteriorating humanitarian situation and the destruction of civilian infrastructure; supporting the idea of a possible international monitoring presence in Lebanon; and calling for international engagement, especially through High Representative Solana, to de-escalate the crisis.
	Iran: High Representative Solana briefed the Council on his 11 July meeting with Iranian chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani.
	The Council adopted Conclusions covering the nuclear file, Iran's approach to the Middle East Peace Process, terrorism and human rights.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State, Trade and Industry (Alistair Darling) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The Chancellor stated in his Budget 2006 announcement that the Government would be prepared to consider selling part of their stake in British Energy. I confirm that the Government will actively consider a sale of part of their stake in British Energy via a capital markets transaction.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: I attended the informal meeting of the Competitiveness Council on 10 to11 July, hosted by the Finnish presidency in Jyväskylä. The meeting focused on innovation policy, with discussion of the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development over lunch on the first day.
	On the morning of 10 July, a number of speakers gave presentations on their views of the challenges for European innovation policy. Presentations were given by:
	Jorma Ollila, chairman of the board of Nokia;Michael Worley, president of the GEEF, a group representing family-run businesses in Europe;Juliana Garaizar, managing director of IFEX;Gordon Murray, professor at the School of Business and Economics, University of Exeter; andEsko Aho, former Finnish Prime Minister and president of the Finnish National Fund for Research and Development.
	Commissioners McCreevy and Verheugen both welcomed the presidency's focus on innovation policy, and stressed the importance of better regulation, an effective intellectual property regime, public procurement, R&D, structural funds, cluster policy, dialogue with industry, and modern financing instruments in promoting innovation.
	Over lunch, Commissioner Potocnic updated Ministers on the current state of play of the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development. An additional Competitiveness Council has been called on 24 July, at which it is hoped that political agreement on a common position can be reached.
	In the afternoon, Ministers split into breakout groups to discuss a number of questions about innovation policy posed by the Finnish presidency. I chaired one of the groups. We reported back on our discussions in a plenary session on Tuesday morning.
	All Ministers supported the presidency's paper on a broad-based innovation strategy and its focus on demand-side policies. I emphasised the need for development of the intellectual property and state-aid regimes, outcome-focused regulation, innovationoriented public services and public procurement, and support for research and entrepreneurship. There was scope for EU action in some areas, but member states must take the lead in others, with the EU ensuring that it did not discourage national or private initiatives.
	The Commission welcomed member states' comments and the presidency's work, and confirmed their intention to produce a communication on innovation policy in September, in advance of the Informal Summit in Lahti in October.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment (Jim Fitzpatrick) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The Insolvency Service plans to deal with some 72,000 new insolvencies in the year to 31 March 2007 including a significant increase in personal bankruptcies. Its planning assumption for the level of redundancy payments and other, insolvency-related claims is 95,000.
	In support of the policy that bankrupts who can make a contribution for the benefit of their creditors should do so, official receivers have been asked to ensure that, as last year, at least 17 per cent of bankrupts agree or are ordered to make such payments. Action will continue to be taken against bankrupts and company directors in respect of financial misconduct or dishonesty and Companies Investigation Branch, part of the agency from 1 April 2006, will continue to investigate the affairs of companies in the public interest.
	The service's new financial regime, put in place by the Enterprise Act 2002, will be reviewed in this, its third year and it is likely that new targets relating to unit costs and fees will be agreed as a result. The service is required to balance its case administration costs and income over the three-year period.
	I have also set the Insolvency Service the following targets for the year 2006-07:
	
		
			  Target 
			 Increase the level of the user satisfaction index to 90% 
			 Increase the level of public confidence in the service's enforcement regime to 60% 
			 Ensure the average time for concluding disqualification proceedings is no longer than 26 months 
			 Complete internal Section 447 investigationswithin 90 days of commencementwithin 180 days of commencement 60%90% 
			 Reduce the unit cost of redundancy payment processing by 31 March 2007 from the 2005-06 baseline; and 3% 
			 Process redundancy payment claims for payment within 
			 3 weeks 78% 
			 6 weeks 92% 
		
	
	In addition to these targets, the service is required to meet centrally promulgated targets relating to replying to correspondence from honourable Members, making payments to suppliers and reducing sick absence levels.

Lord Rooker: My honourable friend the Minister of State for Northern Ireland (David Hanson) has made the following Ministerial Statement.
	This Statement sets out my plans to reform liquor licensing law in Northern Ireland. The last review of the law governing liquor licensing and registered clubs took place some 10 years ago. Since then the social and economic climate in Northern Ireland has changed and improved immensely. The peace dividend has altered the shape of the tourism and hospitality sectors and of town and city centres. There is great potential for further growth, and liquor licensing law must keep pace with these developments and with modern expectations.
	Coupled with that is the need for a more transparent, accountable and better regulated framework for the licensed trade. There are clear anomalies in the current licensing system and a requirement for greater enforcement powers for the Police Service of Northern Ireland to deal with breaches of licensing law.
	The consultation on proposed changes to the existing legislation was launched in November 2005. Since then I have had a number of discussions with political representatives and other interested parties. There has been support from both local political parties and the licensed trade for many of my proposals. Concerns have been expressed by politicians and parts of the licensed trade regarding two of the proposed changes. These are the transfer of responsibility for liquor licensing from courts to district councils and the abolition of the "surrender" principle. I welcome the views that have been put and now confirm that my plans for the reform of the law on liquor licensing and registered clubs in Northern Ireland are as follows:
	The introduction of six new objectives to underpin licensing policy, legislation and regulation. These are: promotion of public health; promotion of public safety; prevention of crime and disorder; prevention of public nuisance; protection of children from harm; and fair treatment of all stakeholders.New, more effective enforcement measures, including immediate temporary closure powers for the police, a penalty points system for licensees who break the law and new council liquor licensing officers.Moving responsibility for granting and renewing licences and certificates of registration from courts to district councils, leading to a more accountable, transparent system.Replacing the current 12 categories of licences in favour of a dual system of personal and premises licences.Abolishing the provision which requires an existing licence for a pub or off-licence to be "surrendered" to a court before a new one may be granted. This will be subject to an assessment of the business impact of my proposal which will help decide how this is addressed in the second stage of reforms. I hope it will be the Northern Ireland Assembly that will consider these matters.A voluntary proof-of-age scheme and more flexibility to allow under-18s in certified licensed premises and registered clubs when accompanied by responsible adults.A modest extension of current opening hours for licensed premises and registered clubs, creating scope for opening up to 2 am Monday to Saturday. Sunday opening hours will remain unchanged as will opening hours for off-licences.Revoking the financial controls and accounts formats for registered clubs, prescribed in the Registration of Clubs (Accounts) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997, in favour of best practice guidance.
	The proposals will give police the powers they need to crack down on irresponsible drinkers and rogue traders and make the licensing system more transparent and accountable, giving communities more information and a louder voice in decision-making.
	Allowing licensed premises and registered clubs to apply to the courts to extend their opening hours up to 2 am is the result of careful consideration of the changes in people's social habits and the opportunities available for developing the night time economy. I have listened very carefully to the arguments made by the licensed trade, the police, health interests and others, and balanced the economic and social advantages of extending opening hours with the public interest and public safety. Accordingly, I have decided that opening to 2 am will be available to those licensed premises entitled under existing law to apply for later opening but not to off-licensed premises.
	Transferring responsibility for granting liquor licences and club certificates from a court-based system to district councils will create a more accountable system where pubs, off-licences, registered clubs and other licensees will have to explain in detail how their businesses will support the six licensing objectives. There have been concerns expressed about the ability of councils to administer a new liquor licensing system. However, councils already operate a number of regulatory systems including entertainments licensing and street trading, and their range of responsibilities will be greatly enhanced under the Review of Public Administration. The capacity of new councils to undertake these new responsibilities is an issue that is being addressed in the period leading up to the full implementation of the Review of Public Administration. I wish to reassure those concerned that responsibility for liquor licensing will only move to councils once they have built the capacity to administer the new system.
	The new system will operate under clear guidelines that will be issued to councils. They will be required to produce a Statement of Licensing Policy that clearly articulates how they plan to control liquor licensing in line with the six licensing objectives. There will be further safeguards. Before councils reach a decision they will have to seek the views of responsible authorities and interested parties such as the Police Service of Northern Ireland, local residents and local businesses. All applications for a licence will be open to objection and a licence may be reviewed, revoked or suspended at any time if there is cause for concern. Those seeking a premises licence will be required to produce an operating plan setting out the nature of the business for approval by councils, and the need for any new licence will have to be clearly demonstrated.
	I am replacing the current 12 categories of licence with a dual system of personal and premises licences. This will result in a more robust licensing regime. Personal licences are being introduced for the first time to ensure that those managing licensed premises have accredited qualifications and demonstrate clean backgrounds. This will improve operating standards across the licensed trade and protect against infiltration by those involved in organised crime.
	The surrender provision has created anomalies in the licensed trade. At present only pubs and off-licences are required to surrender a licence before being granted a new one. This has capped the overall number of such premises in Northern Ireland, but it has not prevented the growth of alcohol sales in other premises such as large hotels, nor the clustering of pubs and off-licences in particular areas. It is also an artificial barrier to entry to the market and its abolition will create a more equitable commercial environment.
	I have listened to the views of local politicians and parts of the licensed trade about the implications of the abolition of surrender. In response to their concerns, I will commission an assessment of the business impact of abolition before making any further decision on the way forward.
	I intend to implement some of the proposals as soon as possible. Those relating to enforcement, opening hours, children and registered clubs' accounts should come into effect by Christmas 2007, and draft legislation will be consulted on in Autumn 2006.
	With regard to the move to councils, I intend to defer the consideration of this aspect of the legislation, along with some of the other proposals that depend on the new system being operational, to a second, later legislative vehicle. The Review of Public Administration is due for completion in 2009 and the target date for making legislation to transfer responsibility for licensing from courts to district councils and for the introduction of new licensing objectives will be linked to this. This tranche of legislation will also see the abolition of the existing categories of licence and, subject to an impact assessment, the surrender provision. The final decisions on this will hopefully be taken by a devolved Assembly, should it be successfully restored.
	I believe this is a balanced package of measures that weighs up the rights, needs and demands of the various interested parties. They will bring licensing law in Northern Ireland up to date, both to deal more effectively with the alcohol-related problems we currently face and to meet modern day expectations. They will result in a more democratic approach that allows local people to have greater influence in how and where the licensed trade operates. They will promote a safe, welcoming environment in town and city centres where the evening and night-time economy can flourish and will encourage investment, variety and high standards of service in the hospitality, tourism and entertainment sectors.

Lord Davies of Oldham: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Derek Twigg) has made the following Ministerial Statement.
	Today the Department for Transport has published the West Midlands regional planning sssessment for the railway (RPA), the third in a series of 11 RPAs covering England and Wales. The West Midlands RPA covers the whole of the West Midlands region.
	RPAs are the key link between regional spatial planning (including preparation of regional transport strategies) and planning for the railway by both government and the rail industry and are designed to inform the development of the Government's strategy for the railway. They look at the challenges and options for development of the railway in each region over the next 20 years, in the wider context of forecast change in population, the economy and travel behaviour. An RPA does not commit the Government to specific proposals. Instead it sets out the Government's current thinking on how the railway might best be developed to allow wider planning objectives for a region to be met, and identifies the priorities for further development work.
	The area covered by the West Midlands RPA hasa population of just over 5.3 million of which2.5 million live in the West Midlands conurbation centred on Birmingham. While population levels are not expected to grow significantly, structural changes in the type of employment available and greater prosperity are expected to lead to more trips being made. Growth in rail passenger journeys is forecast for the region and it is expected that there will be particular growth in longer distance journeys, especially to London, and commuting to central Birmingham.
	Planning for railways in the West Midlands needs to take into account a changing economic and social context set out in the regional spatial strategy and regional economic strategy. I am particularly grateful for the contribution made to the development of the RPA by the Regional Assembly, Advantage West Midlands, local authorities and others.
	The RPA clarifies the role of the railway in the region, its contribution to the economy and its place in the overall transport system, setting out where greater rail capability and capacity will be needed over the next 20 years, and the options for responding to that need. The focus of the RPA is making better use of the existing network but it also draws attention to the need to improve access to stations, including interchanges, and the expected need to increase train capacity to meet forecast growth in demand.
	Copies of the document have been placed in the House Library.